At the beginning of the 20th century, Europe is living in peace and prosperity. The “Belle Époque” is an outgrowth of previous important historical events and developments. The networks that are created and which evolve funnel both people and their products, tangible and intangible. It is within this multi-layered world that sound recording and sound reproduction is invented. Early record labels send mobile crews literally all over the world to record local musicians. The range of the repertoire is endless. Cosmopolitanism in large urban centers favors polystylisms and polymorphisms. Colonialism, revolutions, conflicts, refugee flows; the theater, cinema, radio, photography, orchestras’ tours, but also circulations in all kinds of commercial channels in a world that evolves dynamically and anisotropically, form a complex network of “centers” and “peripheries” in alternating roles setting musical idioms in motion, both literally and figuratively. The networks in which the Greek-speaking musics participate, constantly conversing with their co-tenants, are magnificent. Discography has already provided important tools in understanding the relationships that developed between “national” repertoires. The result of this ongoing research is “Cosmopolitanism in Greek Historical Discography”.

Naturally, in the large urban centers of the Ottoman Empire around the Mediterranean Sea, the “conversations” of the Greek-speakers with their Turkish-speaking Muslim “co-tenants”, the Catholic Greek-speakers, the Armenians, the Sepharadi and Ashkenazi Jews, the Levantine Protestants, and the Europeans and the Americans, were more than intense. Very often, the scope of this network extends to the Balkans, to Eastern and even to a part of Central Europe. Especially regarding relations between Orthodox and Muslims, the relevant evidence demonstrates the musical exchanges between them and elucidate an ecumene where everyone contributed to the great musical “melting-pot”, and where everyone may draw from it, as well as redeposit it, in a new form, with a reformulated text and its meaning, with sometimes clear and sometimes blurred references to its pre-text, until someone else pulls it out again, through the “melting-pot”, so that it becomes clear that there is no end in this recreational and dynamic process where fluidity prevails.

This is one of the most popular tunes of the Greek-speaking urban folk-popular repertoire. It is found in 78 and 33 rpm discography, in instrumental or vocal performances, with several variations, different lyrics and titles. Stavros Kourousis (2013: 68) mentions that it is related to the melody included in the recording "Zeybek Havassi", the first historical recording of a zeibekiko according to the researcher. It was made on May 29, 1900, in Constantinople (Istanbul) by kemençeci Anastas and lavtacı Kostas (Berliner 1759A – 18000). According to the same source, the melody of the above recording also connects with another tune, "Aptal Havassi".

The following recordings are worth noting from Greek historical discography:

– «Zeimpekiko», Etaireia Mitsos (harmonica, mandolin, guitar), Constantinople, August-September 1906 (Zonophone 1565R – X-108022 and 18283, 18368).
– "Antikristo", Harmonica and guitar, Constantinople, March 20, 1909 (Concert Record Gramophone 12578b – 18124 and re-issued as Victor 63512-B).
– "Mantalena", Marika Papagkika, New York, June 1926 (Columbia W 205371 – 56034-F and Columbia UK 11602).
– "Mantalenia", Charilaos Kritikos (Piperakis), New York, 1926–1927 (Pharos 451 – 831).
– "To mystirio", Tzak Grigoriou [Ioannis Chalikias] (bouzouki) – Sofoklis Michelidis (guitar), New York, January 1932 (Columbia W 206583 – 56294-F).
– "Mystirio zeimpekiko", Bouzouki and guitar, Athens, 1932 (Columbia WG 395 – DG 275, present recording). In this recording we come across something quite common for the time, which remains to be researched in depth: while the word "bouzouki" is written on the label, the instrument itself is not heard in the recording. Instead, the solo part is performed by a laiki (folk-popular) guitar. This practice seems to have been common mainly by the two masters of the genre: Spyros Peristeris and Kostas Skarvelis.
– "To mystirio", Solo bouzouki [and guitar], Athens, 1932–1933 (Odeon Go 1839 – GA 1631 – A 190446b).
– "To koutsavaki", Zacharias Kasimatis, Athens, 1933 (Parlophone A 101324-2 – B 21671-ΙΙ and re-issued as Columbia’s USA record 131095 – G 7067-F).

Charis Alexiou sang it again with great success ("Mantalio (Mantalena)", double LP "Charis Alexiou–24 tragoudia", Minos MSM 316/317, Athens, 1977) by changing the lyrics about hashish.

Also, couplets from the song "Mantalena" are used by Giorgos Katsaros (Theologitis) in the song "'Ol' imera paizei zaria" as well as by Antonis Ntalgkas in the song "Ti na kano i kakomoira".

In Turkish historical discography, it is worth mentioning the recording of the tune by Tanburi Cemil Bey, who is playing the kemençe, and Şevki Efendi, who is playing the oud, which took place in Constantinople (Istanbul) around 1912–1913, and was included under the title "Zeybek Havasi" in the record Orfeon 11801, with matrix number 1880.

We also note the recording “Coşkun Zeybek”, which was made by actress and singer Mahmure Handan Hanım in Constantinople, οn September 8, 1932 (Sahibinin Sesi OK 1314-2 - AX 1735).

Research and text: Leonardos Kounadis and Nikos Ordoulidis